Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

35-1011 Chefs and Head Cooks

Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
90,300 2.1 % $22.40 $46,600 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.91 $15.19 $20.36 $27.37 $35.61
Annual Wage (2) $24,770 $31,600 $42,350 $56,940 $74,060


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Full-Service Restaurants 44,120 0.97 $21.57 $44,870
Traveler Accommodation 11,480 0.68 $25.39 $52,800
Special Food Services 9,880 1.73 $22.17 $46,110
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 6,020 0.57 $25.50 $53,050
Limited-Service Eating Places 4,880 0.12 $16.78 $34,910

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Special Food Services 9,880 1.73 $22.17 $46,110
Full-Service Restaurants 44,120 0.97 $21.57 $44,870
Traveler Accommodation 11,480 0.68 $25.39 $52,800
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water 80 0.62 $26.96 $56,080
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 6,020 0.57 $25.50 $53,050

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 50 0.15 $35.10 $73,010
Amusement Parks and Arcades 210 0.13 $32.49 $67,580
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 1,480 0.07 $31.45 $65,410
Other Personal Services 30 0.01 $29.91 $62,200
Other Food Manufacturing 130 0.08 $29.32 $60,990


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 10,280 0.73 1.04 $23.31 $48,490
Florida 5,690 0.79 1.13 $23.67 $49,230
New York 5,610 0.67 0.95 $32.67 $67,950
Texas 4,150 0.40 0.57 $22.52 $46,840
Pennsylvania 4,070 0.73 1.04 $20.67 $42,990




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 2,150 3.33 4.73 $20.98 $43,650
Nevada 2,750 2.47 3.51 $25.31 $52,640
Hawaii 1,320 2.28 3.25 $25.34 $52,700
Vermont 480 1.65 2.35 $20.53 $42,700
Connecticut 2,150 1.33 1.90 $24.60 $51,160




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 5,610 0.67 0.95 $32.67 $67,950
New Jersey 2,470 0.65 0.93 $29.07 $60,460
Hawaii 1,320 2.28 3.25 $25.34 $52,700
Nevada 2,750 2.47 3.51 $25.31 $52,640
Massachusetts 3,400 1.08 1.53 $25.10 $52,200





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,630 0.72 1.02 $38.46 $80,000
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 3,340 1.45 2.06 $22.06 $45,890
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 2,790 0.73 1.04 $21.37 $44,450
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 2,720 0.76 1.08 $21.28 $44,270
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 2,290 2.84 4.04 $26.12 $54,340
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 1,810 1.07 1.52 $23.07 $47,980
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 1,630 0.97 1.38 $27.06 $56,280
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 1,320 0.73 1.04 $24.08 $50,090
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 1,300 1.35 1.92 $26.56 $55,240
Baltimore-Towson, MD 1,280 1.02 1.45 $19.04 $39,590




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Naples-Marco Island, FL 320 2.84 4.04 $26.97 $56,090
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 2,290 2.84 4.04 $26.12 $54,340
Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC 300 2.74 3.89 $16.85 $35,040
Barnstable Town, MA 220 2.38 3.38 $24.84 $51,660
Honolulu, HI 990 2.32 3.29 $23.90 $49,710
Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC 630 2.20 3.12 $18.17 $37,790
Santa Fe, NM 130 2.17 3.09 $22.77 $47,360
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 290 2.14 3.03 $29.26 $60,850
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 740 1.81 2.58 $24.59 $51,140
Port St. Lucie, FL 210 1.77 2.51 $17.16 $35,690




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,630 0.72 1.02 $38.46 $80,000
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 80 0.17 0.24 $31.63 $65,800
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 690 0.57 0.82 $30.85 $64,180
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 290 2.14 3.03 $29.26 $60,850
Trenton-Ewing, NJ 70 0.32 0.46 $29.21 $60,760
Ann Arbor, MI 130 0.70 0.99 $29.16 $60,650
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 50 0.32 0.46 $28.87 $60,040
Worcester, MA-CT 290 1.22 1.74 $28.12 $58,500
Norwich-New London, CT-RI 160 1.23 1.75 $27.54 $57,270
Morgantown, WV 40 0.71 1.02 $27.38 $56,960

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 360 5.07 7.20 $22.81 $47,450
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 330 2.19 3.11 $29.59 $61,560
Low Country South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 260 2.41 3.43 $20.31 $42,250
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 230 1.24 1.76 $20.80 $43,260
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 220 2.16 3.07 $21.89 $45,530

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Sierra Region of California nonmetropolitan area 70 5.33 7.58 $19.21 $39,960
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 360 5.07 7.20 $22.81 $47,450
Southwest Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 40 3.41 4.84 $23.22 $48,300
Northwestern Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 110 3.24 4.60 $25.58 $53,200
Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 50 2.67 3.79 $23.96 $49,840

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Natchitoches nonmetropolitan area 100 1.28 1.81 $34.72 $72,230
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 50 0.40 0.57 $29.78 $61,950
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 330 2.19 3.11 $29.59 $61,560
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 40 0.71 1.01 $29.42 $61,190
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 1.09 1.55 $28.53 $59,340


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012